Delhi reacts to girls' arrest for FB post

Delhiites react to the treatment meted out to two girls for posting a comment on Facebook, an act that was considered as 'sending offensive messages through a communication service' by the govt.

Many are outraged over the arrest of the two Mumbai girls over a Facebook post protesting the complete shutdown of Mumbai after Bal Thackeray's death. Groups have been created online that are extending their support to Shaheen Dhada and her friend Rini Srinivasan who were charged for "promoting enmity between classes" and "sending offensive messages through a communication service". After the arrest, and subsequent bail, Shaheen apologized in the hope that this will bring an end to her traumatic experience.

Here's what Delhiites have to say.

There are no fines or arrests for urinating in the public, but you opt for opinionating and arrests happen. This is crazy and simply outrageous. I mean, there is no limit to these things now. Next thing we know, we'll be behind bars for just joking about something in public. - Palak Bhambri, final year student, IP College for Women

There was a time when we used to worry about hiding our funny posts about teachers from geeks and other teachers. But now, we have to worry about the government. - Karan Taneja, engineering student

This is unbelievable. Wasn't it about 'What's on my mind' for my friends to know? And for me to discuss with people I want to discuss with? How can someone extend this to such a large extent. Aren't we making a joke out of ourselves in front of the whole world this way? - Sameer Khanna, BPO employee

They arrested the girls, destroyed the clinic and still, we are the people who are promoting enmity. For the first time in years, my mother is asking me about what I post on Facebook. This incident has created so much fear in everybody's minds. Protests sab nahi karte, but Facebook pe toh sab bolte hain. This brings the question of freedom of expression so much closer to our generation. - Kaveri Tiwari, MBA student